I’ve decided to have a little look see at how the papers are holding up to their position as the forth estate in the coverage of the elections. So we’ll begin over here on the left with a look at The Independent.

This paper was recently bought by the Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev for a pound and that’s the same amount I paid for it today.

The front page has the decency not to bombard us with the election instead opting for one small picture of Cameron and ‘Election 2010 Pages 9-15’. True to their word they avoid all mention of anything Westminster until page 9 and I get to read about that volcano instead. Then everything goes very Lib Dem, that wouldn’t have been the case a week ago.

No deal with Cameron after the election, say Lib Dem voters

And off we go on our swing that always goes to the left. Labour remain ignored by the headline writers all the way to page 12, instead we’re told about Tory damage limitation for the ‘worst campaign in history’ and then it’s Lib Dem heaven. Articles that paint a wonderful human picture of the party’s struggle to satisfy the media attention since last Thursday’s Nick Clegg show.

When we do get to the current goverment it’s a piece on, not quite flavour of the month/what was your husband watching on telly? Jacqui Smith. Yes the epicentre of the expenses scandal, The Independent make sure to remind us of this in a separate insert into the main story. It is a fairly forgiving piece; painting Jacqui as a woman about to embark on the fight of her life to retain her seat. They describe her as ‘ refreshingly accessible’ when comparing getting an interview with her as opposed to the stories they have heard about her and lambast the Tories for not already making her Redditch seat a certainty.

The Tories get the double spread of the last two pages for an interview withMichael Grove the shadow Secretary for State and Schools. It’s the usual get the digs in carry on between the two parties. Petty stuff initially, how the Tories will change the name back to the Department for Education, before the Labour mess ups get a mention. ‘It’s profoundly wrong that children can be re-admitted to schools where the head has excluded them’ smaller class size, reform of the exam system, you don’t need me to tell you, we all know this tune.

The Independent is good, you really know you’re miles away from tabloid land but it just doesn’t light a fire under the bottom.